The Path Back to Home
by autumneuphoria
Summary: GranGran learns to let her granddaughter go, even if she will be in the Fire Nation from here on out. But what can she do? That's where Katara's home is now.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters.**

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The cool breeze whipped the young brunette's hair, the cold nipping at her cheeks. Her frosty fingers reached up to tuck the strands back, only to have them blown around by the wind again. She sighed in frustration as she let her arms drop down beside her.

Behind her, a burst of childish squeals erupted and she raised a brow as an amused smile played around the corner of her lips. Setting a hand on her waist, she turned around to meet the children's gaze.

"Master Ka-taah-rah," a boy in the middle of the group giggled at his teacher's struggles.

"Do you have something to say, Maku?" Katara's fingers tapped at her waist line, the fur lining of her hood starting to itch.

"No-o!" Maku's eye's grew wide and he innocently shook his head.

Katara stared the brown-haired child down for a moment, his small frame slightly shaking from anticipation.

Suddenly, Maku slipped on the snow and landed on his bottom with a soft _thud_.

The rest of the soon-to-be benders broke into more laughter, and so did Katara.

"Aww, Master!" the little boy whined as his cheeks' skin were blotched with red spots.

"I'm...sorry, Maku...it's just that..." Katara broke down into another fit of giggles, and Maku scowled silently before he began to laugh himself.

Once they had all calmed down, Katara decided that they've had enough practice for now. "Alright, guys, I guess we can call it a day,"

As she watched her young apprentices break out to play games that involved their newly-learnt water bending, the young teacher smiled to herself.

"Katara," a loving voice called from behind her.

"GranGran!" Kana's granddaughter wrapped her arms tightly around her.

Kana chuckled as she pulled away. "You've done a good job with the kids today,"

Katara beamed proudly, "Thank you, GranGran."

"It's nice to see you enjoying yourself," the old woman commented, tying back the brown locks of her granddaughter.

"Well, you've said it before, GranGran: I'm the last hope of our tribe." although a smile was plastered on Katara's face, Kana could hear the unmistakable coating of longing and sadness in her voice.

Kana sighed. "You still miss that boy from the Fire Nation, don't you?"

Katara's eyes widened in surprise. "No-"

"You were never good at lying, dear," her grandmother interrupted her while putting a hand on her shoulder.

The girl sighed. "He's not _just_ a Fire Nation boy... He's the Fire Lord. And yes, I do, GranGran, more than anyone I've missed before."

Kana weighed the situation. It had only been a couple months ago when Katara came back to the South Pole due to her request that she come back from the Fire Nation to fulfill her duties to train possible future benders. The young master had obliged to it, but seemed quite hesitant at first.

Her grandmother knew the reason to this, but the joining of two different elements just didn't seem appropriate. It was hitting two birds with one stone: more benders for their tribe, and the avoidance of a grave mistake.

But now, the old woman realized, an even greater mistake was to step in the way of two people who were bound together in the first place.

"Go," Kana said softly, bringing a hand to cup Katara's cold cheek.

"Wh-what?" Katara felt her heart skip a beat.

"Go back to the Fire Nation. That is where your heart belongs, isn't it?"

The young girl's face first showed confusion, then surprise, and finally, joy.

"Oh, GranGran! Thank you so much!" she threw her arms around the older lady once more, but with much more love and elation.

Kana chuckled. "Don't forget to visit ever so often though,"

The other grinned. "Of course not!"

Kana smiled gently. "Now go. Sokka's about to embark on another of those ambassador meetings. He's headed to the Fire Nation."

Hearing those words, Katara quickly ran to catch her brother's ship after a delighted goodbye.

She was going to see him again; she was going to go home.

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09/27/12


End file.
